Research set to transform farm practices

A South Australian researcher says Australia is on the cusp of the biggest transformation of its farming landscape since the arrival of Europeans.

Professor Wayne Meyer says precision agriculture and soil mapping will allow farmers to be more selective about how they use their land.

He says it will mean less land use for broadacre crops, leaving more land available for carbon planting and biodiversity protection.

"We'll actually farm to the intrinsic land capability and that means that we'll end up with not straight lines in terms of what lines look like, but they'll start to become more like a mosaic," he said.

"There will be specific areas where there'll be high producing and highly responsive areas for crop production and animal production, together with areas where we've got biodiversity protection, carbon plantings and connectivity of corridors around the landscape."